Bleeding Love
by PlayTheGame
Summary: "But nothing's greater than the risk that comes with your embrace…and in this world of loneliness, I see your face…" AU Triple H/Stephanie. Sequel to 'Lie To Me'.


**A/N - Look at me updating twice in like 2 weeks or whatever. This started as an annoying request from an annoying person but the seed was planted and here we are. It's a sequel and I recommend you read Lie To Me first, otherwise this isn't going to make a lot of sense. (Found here btw:** s/11549310/1/Lie-To-Me **) So yeah, let's see if I can make this a habit, eh? Enjoy...**

* * *

 ** _Trying hard not to hear, but they talk so loud…their piercing sounds fill my ears, try to fill me with doubt…but nothing's greater than the risk that comes with your embrace…and in this world of loneliness, I see your face…_**

It was dark but every time the fluorescent lights flashed across the room he saw her.

Paul sipped at his beer, trying desperately not to make himself obvious. Beth was cackling with her friends. Why was he even there? Who brings their boyfriend to a girls night? Momentarily, he turned his attention to the other poor guy dragged out tonight. Steve or Sam or whatever the fuck his name was. Guy was boring as hell and only made an awful night even worse. Paul wanted to be anywhere but in this stupid club.

And then he saw her.

It was the legs first. Those endless legs that disappeared under a short black miniskirt. His stomach dropped as his eyes travelled up and he realised who it was he was looking at. Stephanie was completely oblivious to him. She was dancing and laughing with some guy. They were close but not close enough to suggest that they were together. Paul sighed with…relief? Why did it matter if she was with somebody else? He took a long pull of his beer, his eyes glaring across the crowded dance floor. They narrowed when Stephanie ran her hands down the guys chest. He saw the man's face light up, then darken as he dipped his head and dropped his hands. A large crowd of screaming women suddenly blocked his view as they headed from their seats towards the bar and he cursed under his breath. His hand gripped the beer bottle tightly when the crowd passed and he saw something he did not want to see. She was kissing him. She was making out with him, right in front of him. Without thinking he took a step forward. It wasn't until he felt somebody touching his arm that he snapped out of it and turned his head.

"What?"

Beth frowned at him. "I'm going to the restroom. Be back in a minute."

Internally Paul was fuming. He had no right to be but he couldn't help it. He hadn't seen Stephanie in months and just the other night his thumb had hovered over her name in his phone. But he didn't send the message. Not when the look on her face when he last stormed out on her played in his mind.

"Can you get me another vodka and coke? Stacey wants one too."

Beth was still talking. Paul drained his bottle and grabbed her arm before she could turn to leave. "I'm gonna go home, babe." She opened her mouth to protest but he didn't let her. "This is your night with your friends. I don't need to be here, Beth. Neither does Carrie's boyfriend either. Look at us, we're miserable."

Beth turned to Scott, Carrie's boyfriend, and winced at the forced smile on his face. The two guys obviously weren't having a good time yet Scott was prepared to stick it out for Carrie. Once again, Paul wasn't prepared to do the same for her. Deciding that she didn't want to argue with him over it, she simply nodded her head and shut her eyes when he kissed her cheek.

Paul vaguely heard her asking Carrie's guy to get the drinks at the bar but he wasn't really listening. Instead his sole focus was on trying to locate Stephanie. She had moved from when he last saw her and he couldn't seem to pick her up again. Paul slowly started walking towards the door but not without scouring the place one final time. The chilly night air sent a shiver down his spine but his blood ran cold at the sight that greeted him upon entering the line for taxis. At the very top, Stephanie and that fucking guy were climbing into a cab, grinning form ear to ear. He blew out an angry breath and grit his teeth.

He shouldn't feel like this. He had no right to feel like this. So why did it hurt so fucking bad?

* * *

"You're not even listening to me!"

Paul had no idea what she had just said but he could tell from the expression on her face that she was fucking whining about something. Again. He rubbed at his neck and sighed. "Sorry."

Beth rolled her eyes and tried to control her bubbling anger. "Sorry. You're always sorry. You say sorry so often I'm starting to think it's my fucking name, Paul. What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing. Can't we just come for coffee without talking about the wedding? Can't we do anything without talking about the wedding? Please?"

He mumbled under his breath and Beth felt her stomach clench. Had she heard him correctly? "What did you just say?"

Paul licked his lips and shook his head. He wasn't doing this again. Not here.

"You're sick of it? Is that what you said? You're 'fucking sick' of talking about our wedding? Paul?"

Her voice had risen dramatically and Paul could sense eyes on them from the tables in the vicinity. Once again his mind hand wandered to the one place it shouldn't be going but he couldn't help it. Paul had been thinking about Stephanie so often lately. He couldn't get the image of her with that guy in the club last week out of his mind. She had taken him home. She fucked him. Probably in her bed. The same place she fucked him so many times before. An irrational surge of jealousy began to simmer in his gut. It lasted a dreadful series of seconds before it was replaced with guilt. Guilt, because he no right to feel this way and even more, because of the way he had treated her that last time. If he was being honest with himself, guilt for the way he had treated her throughout their entire affair.

He had been thinking about her non-stop since that night. Just when he thought he was finally getting over it, he saw her last week and everything came crashing at him full force once again. Now he was sitting thinking about her while his fiancé was trying to plan their wedding.

"You're not going to say anything? Do you even realise that we haven't even set a date yet? I can't arrange anything with my parents and family, when to fly them in, because I have no fucking idea when my wedding is supposed to be. Do you…."

"Calm down, will ya?" Paul finally reached across the table to take her hand. She pulled away but he caught it anyway and tugged at her fingers. "I'm just…I'm stressed…at work and….I haven't been fair to you."

Say it.

He begged himself to just come clean.

Now wasn't the place.

"I'm sorry I haven't been involved in anything but Beth, you know I don't really give a crap what fucking flowers you pick or what church you want. I don't need to be involved in any of that stuff."

Beth pulled her hand free and watched his larger one slip to the table. Her eyes stared at the beautiful diamond adorning her finger. She was more surprised than he was when he proposed. For some reason she just…never thought of Paul and marriage in the same sentence before. Yet from the second that ring had been placed on her finger she couldn't think of anything else. Maybe she was being a bit overbearing. Sometimes even she was sick of talking and thinking and planning for the wedding. Maybe they both needed a break from it to just be a couple again. He was staring at her across the table, eyes wide and expression almost pained. Slowly, she covered his hand with hers and absently began stroking his fingers.

"I'm sorry for talking about it all the time," Beth mumbled.

Paul breathed an inward sigh of relief. Finally, they could drop it.

"But we have to set a date. I don't care about anything else so long as we set a date."

"Right now?" He tried to mask the quiver in his voice. He didn't want to set a date. He didn't want to get fucking married.

"No!" Beth managed a small chuckle. His eyes had almost popped out of his head. "Just soon."

* * *

Stephanie fiddled with the sleeve of her sweater. It was frayed at the edges. It had been since the moment she bought it four years ago. Her first day of college. Of course she bought her school sweater and of course it was the most comfortable piece of clothing she had ever owned.

Her eyes glanced up at the skilled barista working diligently to make the drinks of everybody in line. She finally got to the register and gave her order. A flat white. Nothing fancy today. Slanting her body to fit through the throng of people who always seemed to gather just before the drink collection point, she couldn't help but smile at the conversation taking place. Freshmen. Freshmen freaking out over finals. That had been her once. And it was almost hard to believe that her college journey was almost over.

In just three days she would graduate.

She would take two weeks off to do absolutely nothing.

She'd take another week to move into her brand new apartment in Boston's Back Bay.

Yes, it was pricey. Yes, it was a gift from her parents. Yes, she happily accepted because she wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise. One year rent free.

And after all that, she would start her new job as an entry level legal associate at Ropes & Gray, one of the city's finest law firms.

It was so strange to think back on everything that had happened during her short stint at BU. And now here she was, ready to enter the real world with a proper grown up job and…actually, she was just waiting for her coffee.

Her mind began to wander again, flitting in and out of the various conversations taking place all around her. Like the freshmen still freaking out over finals. Or the sweet old couple making faces at the baby being cradled in his father's arms. Or the businesswoman too engrossed in her phone to hear her order being called. Or the woman who had been talking about her upcoming wedding with a sense of…muted desperation in her tone.

Stephanie tried not to stare as she casually leaned back against the wall and tuned her ears to the woman's conversation. She could see a large hand resting on the table, a smaller one resting on top while slender fingers stroked up and down. The glint from the flashy engagement ring was not easily missed. Despite her best efforts, Stephanie took a quick glance at the ring, her eyes catching sight of the guy sitting at the table and all at once her stomach dropped.

"Oh my God." It was a hushed whisper of pure shock. Stephanie was pretty sure she had even gasped.

Absently she heard her name being called and her whole body flinched. The last thing she needed was somebody shouting her name all over the place. She quickly grasped the hot paper cup out of the barista's hand and made for the door, not stopping for a collar and further, not even feeling the heat from the steaming liquid inside. In her mad dash for the door, Stephanie was completely oblivious to the man blocking her exit and promptly bumped right into him, almost knocking him to the floor.

"I'm sorry….sorry," she mumbled, not stopping for a second. She had to get out of there. Her whole body was shaking as she stumbled through the door, walked straight to the nearest trash can and threw the coffee inside. Her legs carried her on as they kept walking and despite the brisk pace, the further she got from the coffee shop, the more her heart rate began to slow. Finally, she was almost back at her apartment, Stephanie closed her eyes and tried to push all thoughts of him out of her mind.

It was futile.

As soon as she stepped through her door she saw them everywhere; she saw _him_ everywhere.

Paul.

It had only been a moment but it was enough to make her head spin and her chest thump. It had been so unexpected. She knew he was getting married. Hannah had let slip a few months ago. Stephanie had a strong feeling the proposal came soon after their last time together. She also had a strong feeling that Hannah knew exactly when the proposal happened but was thankfully sparing her the details. Hannah's brother was close with Paul. He was the reason she had even met him in the first place.

She had been a few weeks shy of her 21st birthday. It was the start of her final year and Hannah's brother was throwing a house warming party. He was older and was celebrating both his new house and the completion of his residency at the hospital. Stephanie could remember turning up at his house expecting a college party. After all, it was what she was used to. She could remember feeling surprised at how nice the place was and how most of the attendees were a bit older than both her and Hannah. She could remember feeling a little bit out of her element, a little nervous to be around actual men rather than frat boys. She could remember liking the attention. She enjoyed the looks thrown her way throughout the night, especially from one guy in particular who hadn't taken his eyes off her.

Stephanie lost herself in the memory. Her knees weakening the exact same way they had that night when he approached her. He didn't offer a shot or a red cup. He offered an empty wine glass and asked if she preferred red or white. He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling and expression amused. His whole aura was so self assured and she found it incredibly sexy.

As the night wore on she had completely relaxed in his presence, allowing them both to flirt shamelessly. The flirtation grew suggestive in nature and Stephanie knew from his subtle touches that she would be waking up in his bed tomorrow.

In the end it was her bed.

And she woke up alone.

Even back then she knew it had been extremely naive of her to think he would have stuck around until morning. But she wasn't complaining. Not after the night they had shared and the way he had taken her. She had never had sex like that before. It was on a different level to anything she had ever experienced and her body ached to experience it over and over again.

That's when it started; her addiction to him. That's why she went running to him every time he called. That's why she kept giving herself to him; because it felt too good to stop.

It was also why it had been so fucking hard to get over him. She knew it was just sex but the longer it went on it just…started to feel different. The way he would look at her. The way he was always touching her. The raw hunger in his eyes when he knew he could have her. Somewhere, somehow…it changed between them. It was still just sex but it was like they were connected and she…she knew, even back then that it would never be anything more. So why had she let herself fall for him so hard?

But now?

Now she looked back and scolded herself for being so naive. It was obvious he was painfully unhappy in his relationship. Maybe somewhere deep down she thought he would leave his girlfriend and be with her.

Stephanie outwardly scoffed as she stood over the stove, a boiling kettle beginning to squeal its existence. She poured a hot cup of tea and walked out to sit on the sofa. Despite herself, she couldn't help the little flutter in her chest as she recalled the image of him in the coffee shop. No matter what, she could never deny her attraction to him. Paul had taught her so much about herself while they had been together, not all of it good. And he had given her what were now bittersweet memories and moments that would live with her forever. He made her feel like a woman. But more than anything else, he had broken her heart. She had fallen for him and instead he kept coming to her when he wanted an escape from his life.

It hurt to know that's all she would ever be to him and it hurt even more when he just stopped coming to see her. The visits stopped. The texts stopped. Overnight it ended and then she got word that he was getting married.

Life went on. She cried her heart out. She eventually got over him and now here she was just two months shy of her twenty-second birthday. A lot had changed in a year. Now she no longer pined for him like she used to but still, seeing him today had been so unexpected and well, it threw her.

The sound a phone chiming sent a slight shiver down her spine. Stephanie was almost afraid to look at who was calling. There was no way it could be…

No.

It was her father.

A genuine smile crossed her face and Stephanie answered the call as she relaxed back into the soft cushions below.

* * *

Paul couldn't believe his eyes when he saw her steamrolling out of the coffee shop earlier. He had thanked his lucky stars for the commotion that had abruptly ended all wedding talk between he and Beth. Somebody had practically started running for the door and almost knocked some guy off his feet. Yet it was Paul who felt the air leave his lungs when he caught a flash of brunette hair.

And he knew.

He just knew.

All eyes in the coffee shop were on the poor man who had almost just been bowled over but not his. Paul's gaze had been firmly on the retreating figure of Stephanie McMahon. Out the window he saw her dump her coffee in the trash. Her body turned to get back on the path again and his chest caught.

It was really her.

Beth went back to talking about her plans for the weekend and Paul sat there, lost in his thoughts of the woman he couldn't seem to let go.

Now it was almost midnight and he found himself standing outside a familiar door.

What if she was out?

What if she wasn't alone?

Paul swallowed hard and knocked. If he waited any longer he would back out. It was on his mind to come and see her but something kept stopping him. Seeing her today had been too much. He needed to see her.

Stephanie opened the door, curious as to who it could be so late at night. When she saw him standing there her heart started thumping wildly. She could feel the blood beating in her ears and tried to ignore the softening of his face when their eyes met.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, barely trusting herself to speak.

"Can I come in?"

"Paul…"

"Please. I swear I'm not here for…" his voice trailed off as he realised how ridiculous it was that he had to explain he wasn't there for sex. Had that really been the way things were for them? Why was he such a fucking asshole? "Please."

He was practically begging and despite every instinct telling her otherwise, Stephanie stepped aside to let him in. She watched him scan the room. It was nearly empty. Everything had been packed into boxes in preparation for the move. She'd be living with her parents for a few weeks before moving into her new place.

"I hear you got a job."

"Yeah."

She wasn't making this easy and Paul couldn't blame her. He deserved it. After scanning the room he finally let his eyes rest on her. She was in grey pyjama shorts and a PINK nightshirt. Obviously ready for bed. He could smell the fresh fruity scent of soap and shampoo. She looked beautiful. Exactly as he remembered yet somehow even better. And there was something different about her too although he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Stephanie cleared her throat. "Why are you here?" The way he had been looking at her was stirring something in her gut that she could not allow to fester. She wouldn't let him use her again.

"I saw you today."

Her face blanched.

"I saw you last week…in Maguire's. You…left with…"

"Are you following me?"

"What? No. I…I just seem to keep running into you."

There was something he wasn't telling her.

"Steph…I can't stop thinking about you."

She didn't even try to mask the deep breath she sucked in. She wanted to cry in sheer frustration. Why was he doing this? Why, after all this time, was he doing this, was he saying this to her?

"I haven't stopped thinking about you since…Steph, I was a dick. I should never have treated you the way I did and I'm sorry." He wanted so badly to go to her, to pull her against him and not let go. His chest was so tight it actually hurt to look at her, to be this close and unable to do anything about it. He couldn't remember ever feeling this way before. It was completely foreign, to know that the decision of somebody else could completely destroy him.

"Aren't you getting married? Paul…why did you come here? What do you expect me to do with this?" Stephanie used the anxious thumping of her heart and channeled it somewhere else. She was angry. Angry that at the fact that he thought he could just turn up here and say all these things to her. "I can't go back to what we were before. I won't."

"I'm not marrying Beth."

Stephanie's heart began to beat even faster if possible. What the fuck was he doing? Was he leaving Beth for her? Six months ago she would have been delighted to hear him say that.

But now?

She didn't know what to think.

Her eyes watched as he stared at the floor. He couldn't even look at her. But she was surprised when his head snapped up and he looked her right in the eyes and spoke with such conviction it made her question her resolve.

"I'm not marrying Beth," Paul repeated. "I don't know why I even asked her to marry me. After that last time with you I just…I panicked and stupidly thought getting engaged would fix everything. But I know there's nothing to be fixed. I don't want to be with her. I don't love her. I don't know if I ever did."

Paul rubbed his hands over his face and blew out a breath. "I know you don't believe me…"

"I don't," Stephanie managed to squeak out. She could feel her throat growing hot, her eyes starting to sting. It would be so easy to give in to him, to let him make her feel good. Yet what was an incredible feeling worth when it was so fleeting and left her aching all the times in between? She couldn't do this again. And she couldn't stop herself from telling him. "I can't. I can't do this again, Paul. It hurt too much."

Her voice was starting to quiver and he felt like a bastard. She was protecting herself from him. It was only then that he realised just how badly he had hurt her. A few months into their affair he got the distinct feeling that she was falling in love with him. But that didn't suit his situation at the time so he did what he does best; he retreated into himself and took what he needed, not caring who got hurt along the way.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you doing this? You think I'm just going to…fall at your feet because you're sorry? Have you broke up with her yet?" He said nothing and Stephanie scoffed. "I don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth."

Paul took a deep breath. He couldn't get mad. Why should she believe him? He had done nothing to prove he could be trusted. If he wanted her trust, he was going to have to earn it.

"I'm breaking up with her tomorrow."

"Right," she scoffed again. "Paul, it's late…"

"I'm doing it for you."

"Paul…"

"I know you don't believe me and I don't care. I know what I want."

A heavy tension filled the space between them as they stood there looking at each other. Paul was determined. Stephanie was overwhelmed. He was breaking off his engagement for her. The selfish asshole still somehow managed to make it her fault.

Paul moved forward, fighting the urge to touch her with every step. "I want you."

His voice broke as he spoke and Stephanie hated the sincerity in his tone. She hated that he was here saying these things to her. Most of all, she hated how badly she still wanted him. Their gaze had been locked on each other and some sort of magical spell seemed to have descended upon them. Stephanie could only watch as he kept stepping forward until he was right in front of her. She could smell his cologne, that musky raw scent that drove her crazy. It had been so long and in a flash, everything rushed through her mind, every memory they shared together. He had to leave before she lost her will and caved.

"You should go."

"Ok. But nothing changes what I've said tonight." Paul took a risk and leaned forward to press a lingering kiss on her cheek. He slowly pulled away, unable to stop himself from staring at her lips.

Stephanie couldn't decide if she was thrilled or disappointed when he didn't kiss her and instead stepped back and walked to the door. His hand hovered on the handle as he turned, a sad smile on his face.

"I'll wait."

Her eyes slid shut as the lock on the door clicked into place. She blew out a deep breath and squeezed her eyes. She wouldn't cry. She had already given him more tears than he deserved. So why was her heart beating with excitement? Why did she suddenly feel lightheaded?

He said he would wait for her.

He was giving her what she wanted.

What she _had_ wanted.

As she stood there trying her best to recover, Stephanie was forced to ask herself if she still wanted it.

* * *

"Shit, Steph. This place is amazing!"

Stephanie grinned as her friends explored her new apartment. It was a one bedroom and because she hadn't decorated or completely unpacked yet, it was nothing fancy. But it was ten floors up and overlooked the bay. The scene outside her floor to ceiling window was stunning and that's what her friends were losing their minds over.

"My dad said he initially went for something on the fifth floor but this place literally opened the same day he was coming to view the first apartment. I guess he decided to treat me and got me this one instead!"

"I'm so jealous!" Amanda squealed. "You know you're never getting rid of me, right? Like, I'm going to be here all the time just looking out the window."

"You guys are always welcome. I mean, it's going to be weird not living five minutes away from you now."

"Please promise we'll all stay in touch," Hannah requested, even thought she knew it was kind of a silly question. The three of them had been inseparable since they met. Even when life got in the way, they would still make time for each other.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," Stephanie rolled her eyes and made for the kitchen. "Coffee?"

The two girls gave their orders and a few minutes later, all three of them were sitting on the sofa that was still covered in protective wrapping, their mugs resting on a large box in the middle of the living room because the coffee table hadn't arrived yet.

"I know we'll stay in touch," Amanda said absently, referring back to their last topic of conversation. "My sister is still best friends with her college girls and she's almost ten years out. Same for your brother, right Hannah? And yours!" Amanda nodded in Stephanie's direction.

"I'm not worried. We'll meet new people but we'll always have each other. Now…enough of all this nonsense!" Stephanie took a sip of her coffee and winced as the hot liquid scorched her tongue. "Ames, when do we get to see _your_ new place?"

"Soon! I can't wait." Somehow Amanda had managed to secure a little studio in Cambridge. It was the perfect location for her to continue her studies after a surprising acceptance into Harvard for post graduate study.

"Don't mind me," Hannah moaned, half joking. "I'll just be stuck living with my brother forever."

The other two girls hid their laughter. Their friend had no such luck in finding a place as quickly and was forced to crash with her brother and his girlfriend. It was a situation none of them were happy with but his house had tons of space and it was easier than having to commute in from the suburbs every day.

"You'll find somewhere soon. Just keep looking," Amanda encouraged with a chuckle.

The conversation came to a lull and with her brother on her mind, Hannah chanced a glance at Stephanie. "You know I heard some interesting news from Dave this morning."

"When does Dave ever have anything interesting to say?" Stephanie quipped, shifting her leg out of the way of the encroaching slap headed in her direction. It was a joke of course. She had a lot of time for Dave. He had always been nice to her.

"Rude," Hannah made a face. She had been reluctant to say what she was about to say but after that little remark, she took pleasure in it. "Anyway, he told me that he was speaking with Paul."

Stephanie suddenly became engrossed in her coffee as his name hung in the air. She knew they were both watching her, just waiting for a reaction. They didn't get one.

"Nobody could get in touch with him for like two weeks or whatever. And then Dave and the guys finally met up with him for a few drinks. Paul broke it off with Beth."

Amanda gasped.

Stephanie gripped the cup tighter as an electric current ran through her body.

"He called off the engagement and then broke up with her completely. Apparently it got really nasty between them and Beth slapped him when he told her that he didn't think he ever really loved her!"

Stephanie's heart began to thump loudly in her ears. He did it. He broke up with her. He was now a single man. Her eyes slid shut as she fought desperately to stop the smile currently tugging at her lips.

Hannah studied her friend as she sipped her coffee. She exchanged a quick glance with Amanda. Both of them had noticed the little smirk on their friends face. "That wouldn't have anything to do with you, would it?"

The question hung in the air for several seconds. Stephanie thought about telling them what had happened but decided not to. She wasn't even sure herself. Right now it was between her and Paul…if there was anything between them at all. He hadn't called. He hadn't come by. He hadn't even sent any messages.

She cleared her throat and wiped the smirk off her face. "No," she answered firmly.

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Believe what you want!" This time Stephanie allowed herself a chuckle. They would both kill her when she eventually told them. For now… "It's nothing to do with me."

As the other two girls fell into the juicy details of what had happened, Stephanie was a million miles away. She was in her student apartment with Paul at the door, telling her he would wait for her. He knew the news would eventually make its way back to her.

And now what?

Was she supposed to move first?

He was leaving it up to her.

Did she even want to?

She swallowed a long sip of coffee and once again a smile flirted with her lips.

She did.

 ** _But I don't care what they say, I'm in love with you…they try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth…my heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing…you cut me open and I keep bleeding…keep, keep bleeding love…_**


End file.
